Calming Anxiety | Guided Meditation, Sleep Hypnosis & Panic Attack Relief

Justnowland by E. Nesbit — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with this gentle bedtime story, a classic audiobook narrated aloud for insomnia relief and deep relaxation as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's sleep story is Justnowland by E. Nesbit, the much-loved author of The Railway Children. It's a tender fairy tale about a lonely little girl, an enchanted kingdom of crows, and a dragon who has never once been treated kindly. It was first published in her 1912 collection The Magic World and is long in the public domain: Edith Nesbit (1858–1924) died more than a century ago.

 

For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.

Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored.

 

In this soothing narrated short story, eight-year-old Elsie has been locked in a bare attic by the stern Mrs. Staines, all for weeding up the turnips by mistake. Her father is far away in India, and there isn't so much as a piece of string to play with. Then a talking crow appears in the fireplace. He's really a Prime Minister under an enchantment, and he carries her away to a beautiful city where a whole kingdom needs her help. The only thing that can save them is someone brave enough to tame the dragon in the people's park.

 

Tender, magical and full of Nesbit's warmth, this is a story about loneliness, courage and the extraordinary power of simple kindness, with a homecoming at the end that will leave you smiling.

 

If you can't sleep, lie awake at night with a racing mind, or simply love classic children's literature read aloud, let this calm, unhurried bedtime reading ease anxiety and carry you softly towards rest.

 

Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings.

 

And in everything, my friend, be kind.

 

 

Support the Show:

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Racing Thoughts at Night — How to Quiet an Overthinking Mind | Alternate Nostril Breathing

 

Racing thoughts at night are exhausting. There's a room in your mind and the light is still on — somebody in there is still talking, turning the same thought over and over, looking for a door in a wall that hasn't got one. Nobody chooses a racing mind. It isn't your fault. It's a nervous system asked to stay alert for too long that has forgotten how to stand down.

 

In this 10-minute guided meditation we don't argue with the thoughts and we don't try to win — we slow the traffic down until the noise becomes distant. Today's technique is alternate nostril breathing, Nadi Shodhana, which works so well for an overthinking mind because it gives that mind a small job to hold: which hand, which finger, which side, which count. An overthinking mind doesn't stop because you ask it to. It stops when you give it something simple to hold.

 

Two full rounds, with the exhale always longer than the inhale — the long exhale is the brake pedal of the nervous system. Then gentle affirmations for a racing mind, and three practical caring tips for the nights the thoughts gather speed. Anxiety relief, overthinking, rumination, or simply a quieter mind before sleep — there is nothing you need to fix, solve or decide for the next ten minutes.

 

⏱️ Time Chapters

* 00:00 – The room in your mind with the light still on

* 00:41 – We're not going to argue with the thoughts

* 00:55 – Today's focus: racing thoughts and an overthinking mind

* 01:04 – Welcome + Anchored: use the time you've actually got

* 01:47 – Settling in: shoulders, jaw, eyes closed

* 02:08 – Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana)

* 02:26 – Why it works on an overthinking mind

* 02:49 – The hand position: thumb, ring finger, light touch

* 03:25 – Round one: in left, hold, out right

* 04:15 – The long exhale: the brake pedal of the nervous system

* 04:33 – Round two: letting the count carry you

* 05:18 – Thoughts overheard from the next room

* 05:35 – Today's gentle affirmations

* 07:17 – Affirmations, second pass

* 08:11 – Your three daily caring tips

* 09:12 – Coming back into the room

* 09:36 – Outro: Anchored, share, and be kind

 

🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations

See these words brightly in your mind's eye, then repeat them.

* I am calming my racing thoughts.

* My mind is allowed to be quiet.

* I am not my overthinking — I am the one who notices it.

* I am the sky. My thoughts are only the clouds.

* I do not have to solve anything right now.

* My anxious mind is slowing.

* I am safe. I am here. There is nothing to fear right now.

 

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

1. Write the loop down. When a thought loops for the third time, write it on paper. Your mind repeats things mainly because it's afraid you'll forget them.

2. Worry on purpose, earlier. Set aside ten minutes earlier in the day to deliberately worry, so your mind learns the night is not the appointed time.

3. Breathe before the phone. Tonight, when the racing starts, do one round of alternate nostril breathing before you reach for your phone.

 

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett. Come and find all of this in Anchored — the app I built just for these moments. Set it to three minutes or twenty, whatever the day allows. Over 3,000 searchable, offline-ready sessions, sleep stories with Books at Bedtime, and a soft nightlight for the small hours. 👉 [Download Anchored on the App Store Today](https://apps.apple.com)

 

If you have a friend, family member or colleague whose mind won't switch off in the night, please share this episode with them. It costs you nothing and it might change their whole night. A 30-second review on Apple Podcasts does the same for someone you'll never meet.

 

You didn't fight your mind today. You slowed it. And that is a far, far more effective thing. Be gentle with yourself — you are doing so much better than you think. So in everything…

 

…be kind.

 

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Social Media Support: https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

The Aunt and Amabel by E. Nesbit — A Calming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with this gentle bedtime story, a classic audiobook narrated aloud for insomnia relief and deep relaxation as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's sleep story is The Aunt and Amabel by E. Nesbit, the much-loved author of The Railway Children. It's a magical tale of a little girl, a wardrobe in the best bedroom, and a secret railway to a beautiful city, and it's often cited as one of the inspirations for C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It was first published in 1908 and collected in The Magic World (1912), and is long in the public domain: Edith Nesbit (1858–1924) died more than a century ago.

 

For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.

Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored.

 

In this soothing narrated short story, eight-year-old Amabel only meant to please her great-aunt. But when she snips every flower from the greenhouse to fill a bare flower bed, she finds herself in disgrace, shut away all day in the gloomy best bedroom. There's nothing to read but a red velvet railway timetable. Then she spots a most unusual station: "Big Wardrobe in Spare Room". The destination? A shining crystal city called Where You Want To Go To.

 

Tender, funny and quietly wise, this is a story about feeling misunderstood, saying sorry, and the people who understand. It's perfect for anyone who has ever felt in disgrace and wished someone could see they meant well.

 

If you can't sleep, lie awake at night with a racing mind, or simply love classic children's literature read aloud, let this calm, unhurried bedtime reading ease anxiety and carry you softly towards rest.

 

Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings.

 

And in everything, my friend, be kind.

 

 

Support the Show:

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Tight Chest Anxiety — Why You Can't Take a Full Breath | Coherence Breathing for Anxiety Relief

 

Tight chest anxiety is one of the most frightening symptoms there is — that band across the ribs, the shallow breathing, the feeling that no matter how hard you try you can't quite get a full breath in. Today's guided meditation is here to loosen it, gently, without forcing anything.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, this 10-minute session uses coherence breathing — also known as resonance breathing or HRV breathing — a slow five-in, five-out rhythm that lands you at six breaths a minute. That's the resonant frequency of the human cardiovascular system: heart rate, breathing and blood pressure reflexes fall into step, heart rate variability rises, vagal tone improves, and the body finally reads the situation as safety.

 

No holding. No straining for a big breath. Just steady, even breathing, a set of gentle affirmations for an anxious chest, and three practical caring tips you can carry into the rest of your day. Whether you're here for anxiety relief, panic attack support, breathwork or simply a calmer nervous system — you have nothing to do for the next ten minutes but be here with me.

 

⏱️ Time Chapters

 

* 00:00 – Today's focus: the anxious chest and tight, shallow breathing

 

* 00:09 – Welcome + Anchored: build your own box breathing rhythm

 

* 00:51 – Settling in: shoulders down, one hand on the stomach, one on the chest

 

* 01:34 – Teaching the breath to move downwards again: coherence breathing explained

 

* 01:56 – The one line of science: six breaths a minute, HRV and vagal tone

 

* 02:33 – Round one: in for five, out for five

 

* 03:33 – Round two: letting the shoulders sink a little further

 

* 04:17 – Round three, then unclenching the jaw

 

* 05:01 – Letting the counting go: noticing the extra room in the chest

 

* 05:21 – Deepening: loosening the band around the chest

 

* 05:48 – Today's gentle affirmations

 

* 07:23 – Visualisation: the heavy stone lifted from your chest

 

* 08:03 – Your three daily caring tips

 

* 08:48 – Coming back: fingers, toes, shoulders, one deep breath

 

* 09:24 – Outro: Anchored, share the episode, and be kind

 

🌿 Today's Gentle Affirmations

 

Let these words drift and land — whisper them in your mind, or speak them out loud.

 

* My chest is softening. My breath is easing.

 

* I am calming my anxious chest, and I am safe.

 

* This tightness is anxiety in my muscles — and muscles let go.

 

* I do not need to force a deep breath. My body knows how to breathe.

 

* Every slow exhale switches on my vagus nerve.

 

* Every slow exhale tells my body the danger has passed.

 

* I am safe. I am here. There is nothing to fear right now.

 

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

 

1. Exhale first, and longer. When your chest tightens today, breathe out first and for longer, rather than trying to breathe in deeper.

 

2. Open the chest physically. Roll your shoulders backwards ten times and open your arms wide across a doorway — tight chest muscles hold the anxiety in place.

 

3. Cut one caffeinated drink. Just one from your day. Caffeine raises the heart rate, and that raised heart rate convinces your mind something is wrong.

 

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere

 

If your breathing feels tight often, come and find Anchored — the app I built just for you. Open it, tell it how you feel, and let it hand you the right session without having to search for it. Access over 3,000 searchable, offline-ready audio sessions, sleep stories with Books at Bedtime, and built-in nightlight features for the small hours. 👉 [Download Anchored on the App Store Today](https://apps.apple.com)

 

And if there's someone in your life who keeps saying they can't get a full breath — someone quietly frightened by their own feelings — please send them this episode. Sometimes just knowing what it is is half the relief.

 

If today helped, please share it, and take 30 seconds to leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts. It's how other people who are struggling find us.

 

Until tomorrow — smile often, positive thoughts as often as you can, and then in everything, especially to yourself…

 

…be kind.

 

 Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

The Related Muff by E. Nesbit — A Calming Christmas Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with this gentle bedtime story, a classic audiobook narrated aloud for insomnia relief and deep relaxation as part of Calming Anxiety's Books at Bedtime series. Tonight's sleep story is The Related Muff by E. Nesbit, the much-loved author of The Railway Children and The Story of the Treasure Seekers. It's a warm, funny Christmas tale about first impressions, quiet courage and a cousin nobody wanted. It was first published in her 1905 collection Oswald Bastable and Others and is long in the public domain: Edith Nesbit (1858–1924) died more than a century ago.

 

For more calming audiobooks and sleep stories whenever you need them, download Anchored, the free companion app to Calming Anxiety, with offline-ready relaxation and Books at Bedtime sessions for any hour of the night.

Get it on the App Store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 or on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored.

 

In this soothing narrated short story, it's Christmas Eve and there will be no proper Christmas this year: Aunt Ellie has come home ill from India, Mother has rushed to her side, and Father is away with his ship. Then Mother returns in a cab, not with presents, but with cousin Sydney, thin, quiet and buried in Treasure Island, who won't join in any of their games. Rupert, Hilda and Hugh decide he's nothing but a "related muff". But when a game of flying machines on the stairs goes badly wrong, it's Sydney who acts.

 

Tender, funny and full of Nesbit's sharp eye for how children really think, this is a story about kindness, getting people wrong, and the courage that sometimes hides in the quietest person in the room.

 

If you can't sleep, lie awake at night with a racing mind, or simply love classic children's literature read aloud, let this calm, unhurried bedtime reading ease anxiety and carry you softly towards rest.

 

Hosted and narrated by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett, as part of Calming Anxiety's Coffee Break for the Soul and Books at Bedtime story readings.

 

And in everything, my friend, be kind.

 

 

Support the Show:

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.